Carving Out a Living on the Land

On this unique New England farm, learning when to let nature take the lead is key to carving out a living.

When he first envisioned becoming a farmer, Emmet Van Driesche never imagined his main crop would be Christmas trees. Nor did he imagine that his plot of land could defy the standard grid of perfectly sheared trees of a modern tree farm and instead be shaped by a sustainable and ecologically friendly method that requires a watchful eye and careful tending while nature takes the lead. Carving Out a Living on the Land shares how Van Driesche and his wife took advantage of unexpected opportu­nities and leveraged new and old skills to piece together a living from what may be this country's oldest farm of its kind: the Pieropan Christmas Tree Farm.

From coppicing trees to gathering greens for wreath-making, from spoon carving to scything, Carving Out a Living on the Land proves that to start your land-based venture, flexibility, creativity, and understanding are key to using your land optimally, whether it's a rocky ledge or ditch or a patch of trees too small to log. You can lease instead of buy; build flexible, temporary structures rather than sink money into permanent ones; or take over an existing operation rather than start from scratch. What matters most are your unique circumstances, talents, and interests, which when combined with what the land is exuberantly capable of producing, can create a meaningful and successful farming life.

Emmet Van Driesche and his wife, Cecilia, operate the Pieropan Christmas Tree Farm in Western Massachusetts, growing trees and greens for wreaths using a chemical-free, traditional stump-culture method that is both sustainable and beneficial to the ecosystem.